I’ve written a couple posts on one of my “least favorite people that I don’t really know”, Ivan Stevic. I don’t like him because when he came to the US, fleeing from Italy, because his apartment had been raided and drugs found, he proceeded to beat up on the domestic peloton in a prickish way. He took no mercy and was arrogant doing it. Here is a link to many of Ivan’s antics.
Last year, at the Richmond Worlds, supposedly Ivan was bowing out of the sport. He rode the World Championships for Serbia, got into the main break of the day, then did a swan song show, bowing to the crowd before getting caught, then ejected from the field. I said good riddance.
But no, the dude is still lurking around. I don’t know how, but somehow the guy is racing the Olympic Road Race in Rio. WTF? This guy was caught red handed selling EPO and other drugs in Italy, came to the US and took way over a 100 grand of domestic salary and prize money from our riders, and now he is riding the Olympics, again.
Our sport has no ability to police itself. That is a fact. I have to agree with Oleg Tinkov that the double standards that the UCI imposes on a daily routine is a joke. His latest Instagram below.
Anyway, tune into the Olympics, this Saturday, August 6th to watch Ivan going around in circles with Chris Froome and buddies. What a farce.
Ivan bowing to the crowds in Richmond last fall.
One of his better poises.
Oleg’s Instagram last week.
Tucker has his own good looks.
Ivan is officially in.
I nearly emailed you an hour ago to see of you caught this. Lame.
Who won the last Olympic road race?
Oh right … never mind.
In a similar vein I see Lizzie Armistead has missed 3 dope tests but has still been cleared to ride in Rio. I hate Lance but I think he has a point when he says different riders get treated differently. Nobody even knew Armistead had been suspended since July 11th. Incredible.
Couldn’t agree with you more. After yesterday’s insta-idiot post, Tejay should be persona non-grata in the peloton. Armstrong is one of the most vindictive, narcissistic, sociopathic, jackholes you will ever run into.
It’s time people started calling these idiots out and ostracizing them for their behavior.
always welcome to my jerk off parties though. he aint the only jerk off on that start list.
UCU BLOWS!,
USAC,
USADA,
WADA,
IOC,
SKY,
Brailsefordfroomecookson
A century old system of governance. When are we(cyclist) going to take back our beautiful sport? Every time I hear a clueless person spout off about Lance it proves we are not yet ready go take over.
Curious to hear your thoughts on the new Bahrain backed team. I say yikes!
And even though she never contested the first two, after she missed the third she somehow convinced the CAS that UKAD made a technical error on the second so it should be tossed. So we have the defending silver medalist getting a pass to the Olympics … wherein sometime in the next year she will miss another test and duly serve her suspension … but have her Rio medal on the shelf … cause the only way you miss 3 tests in a year is if you are peaking and don’t want to get caught ….
Oleg is completely right about double standards and the sick corruption that is seemingly woven into our sport’s governance.
Lizzy’s situation should have been made public, and the details surrounding her three missed tests needs to be made transparent. I was REALLY angered to read the Lizzie story this morning, as it was so evident that her situation was one of official protection.
Can’t have a poster-girl getting banned, can we? And what about poster-boys?
I remember watching Stevic win a stage of the Tour of Georgia in, I think, 2007.
He did it with such ease that you had to say WTF!
I suppose it should have been clear what was going on but back then we all wanted to believe.
Too bad we were all so blind and/or stupid.
Now I don’t believe any of the performances I see.
The trouble is that it is not just cycling.
I just watched Jim Thome get inducted into the Cleveland Indians HoF. He is a poster child for steroid use just like barry Bonds or Mark McGuire. Truly sad.
Right on the $$$$. =IOC cash
Lizzie is English. Zakarin is Russian. Simple.
I’m sorry, but all that Oleg wants is to make more money. Be it cycling or whatever. He wants to turn cycling (with some help from ASO) into another American major league sport like NHL etc. Only way to watch a race will be pay-per-view. He already suggested ASO should buy the GIRO and turn it into just another Tour. Fuck him. And fuck ASO, too…
I thought it was beyond hilarious when some women were getting popped at the Beijing Olympic road race for EPO! The Official Women’s Olympic Road Parade averaged 22.19 mph and women were actually risking it all on EPO. Makes the doping Grand Fondo Masters riders seem totally sane.
Anyone that participates honestly and ethically in a known rigged system deserves to get screwed.
E.g. Bernie Sanders, US Cycling, UCI, Olympics, the stock market, the banking system, capitalistic life, corporate life… fell free to add to the list.
Steve, big fuckin deal about this Ivan guy. He dopped. And I bet still does. Why do I pick and choose who you bitch about that’s been on drugs? . All the pros on BMC dope. Why u so quiet on those guys? Why you so quiet on every pro? Quit bitching about pro cyclists on drugs. It’s the fuckin norm.
Sport is a reflection of society. Nietsche is, unfortunatley, stronger than the Buhhda.
Nothing happens with any sense of consistency. One persons penalty vs anothers for the same offense may and usually does yield completely different punishment. Any mention or past results of Lance has been completely wiped clean from the TdF record or from the current commentators(as it should have IMO), yet one of his former doping teammates has the cushy job of commentating at the TdF. Stevic is just another guy on a long list that can do no wrong and is allowed, yes ALLOWED, to keep on racing.
So is Big George.
Who cares if Armstrong got treated “unfairly” in regards to the lifetime ban? He also benefited more than anyone and didn’t exactly prove to be a dude you would want to share a foxhole with – tried to ruin LeMond, snitched on his teammate Hamilton (according to Landis), turned his back on his teammate Landis and on, and on and on. Seems like a pretty nice life for those guys out there in Aspen though.
As for Stevic, that picture is horrifying and is punishment enough.
The point is that you can’t just pick and choose. Armstrong was once a favored “protected one” (while others were getting thrown under the bus), and then, once Landis and Hamilton squawked, he became the exact opposite. NGB’s (as well as the UCI) need to remain absolutely neutral in the adjudication process.
That ain’t happening. Oleg is right about Zakarin. While we might not like that he’s completely legal as a competitor right now, he’s been prevented from riding in Rio (with no rules or due process to support them keeping him out). Meanwhile, Lizzie enjoyed complete favoritism from all relevant facets of our sport’s governing structure (British Cycling AND the UCI), up until the point that she was secretly let off the hook. Because “how could a girl with a cute face like that ever be a doper?” Right?
Don’t worry, once people bring the “proper things” to light in the coming months, those governing bodies will promptly toss her under the bus too. Just like Armstrong, Landis, Hamilton, etc.
We will see Bobby Lea representing the U.S. fresh from his oops ban. No big deal since nobody pays attention to Track anyway.
Meanwhile, where are the names of the cheats caught in 2008 and 2012 with new dope tests unavailable at the time? Plenty of cheaters still gazing at Olympic medals that belong to someone else – just like BigTex and his seven framed yellow jerseys.